Marlborough Express - Weekend Express
Inquest follows fatal Sounds boat crash
A jury considers evidence about a man found dead in the outer Pelorus Sound, this week 110 years ago, as we take a flick through the archives. From the Marlborough Express, November 26, 1913.
An inquest was held at Havelock on Monday concerning the death of Benjamin Patrick McCauley, Bulwer, whose body was found near Shag Point, Picnic Bay, on Saturday last.
Mr W. H. Smith, J.P., conducted the proceedings, and the following jury was empanelled: Messrs W. H. Orsman (foreman), W. H. Buckman, A. D. Reid, J. D. Gorrie, Charles G. Rhinies, and R. W. Price.
David Flack, mate of the barquentine Senorita, deposed that he saw the deceased’s launch coming through the boat channel off Kaiuma Point at 7.30 o’clock on Saturday morning. Its engine began to go irregularly, and the man in the cockpit – apparently the deceased – got up, and, the witness supposed, disappeared into the engine room.
Then the launch ran on to the beach about half a mile from the Senorita, and the engine ran for about half an hour. At 3pm the launch commenced to drift. The captain of the Senorita saw all, but gave no instructions to render assistance.
George Clifford, Charles H. Phipps,
and F. W. Williams gave evidence as to travelling on a launch and passing within a few yards of the deceased’s vessel while it was drifting. They saw no one in it, but when they reached Havelock one of the party remarked that he saw in the water something like a bundle of sacks. He did not report the matter to the police, though he thought subsequently that he should have done so.
John W. North, settler, said that he passed the launch while it was adrift near Shag Point, and when he got to Havelock reported the matter to the police. He accompanied the party that went out and recovered the body, which was floating about 200 yards from where the launch was picked up. There were bruises on the face. Possibly the deceased was thrown out head foremost when the launch struck the beach.
W.H. Talbot gave similar evidence. Arthur S. Turner, farmer, Bulwer, identified the body. The deceased, whom he had known for a long time, enjoyed good health.
The jury returned a verdict that the deceased met his death by misadventure, and there was not sufficient evidence to show how he got into the water.
The jury added a rider expressing the opinion “that there was an act of negligence on the part of the captain of the Senorita in not investigating after having seen the launch run ashore at full speed and the engine continue to run for some time after.”